


Hold onto Hope

by ryuseistreamgirl



Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Female Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV), Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers, Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers Spoilers, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, I Don't Even Know, Not Beta Read, Patch 5.0: Shadowbringers Spoilers, Power of Friendship, Sin Eater Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV), Sin Eaters (Final Fantasy XIV), Spoilers, Unnamed Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV), where am i going with this
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-22
Updated: 2020-11-24
Packaged: 2021-03-09 18:33:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,903
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27640769
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ryuseistreamgirl/pseuds/ryuseistreamgirl
Summary: The Warrior of Light lost to the vast amount of Light Aether she housed, turning into the strongest and deadliest Sin Eater. Somehow, she managed to retain some of her consciousness.With her newfound powers, will she become the Savior like she was expected to be, or will she become the Destroyer and aid the Ascians in their Rejoining?Highly inspired by Twitter/social media tags #SinEaterWoL and #ヒカセン罪喰い化
Relationships: Solus zos Galvus | Emet-Selch/Warrior of Light
Comments: 3
Kudos: 21





	1. Authors of Our Fate

**Author's Note:**

> I honestly don't know where I'm going with this, but hope you enjoy it!
> 
> Description left extremely vague and open to let you readers visualize your own versions of what WoL would look like. If you need inspirations, I suggest [this](https://twitter.com/hashtag/sineaterwol?src=hashtag_click) or [this](https://twitter.com/search?q=%23%E3%83%92%E3%82%AB%E3%82%BB%E3%83%B3%E7%BD%AA%E5%96%B0%E3%81%84%E5%8C%96) tag on Twitter.

The Warrior of Light from the Source finally defeated the last living Light Warden that threatened the lives of those living on the First Shard. She gathered its Light within her, just like how she had been doing since arriving to this world. But that was enough for the Lights to come crushing her soul once more, glass-shattering sound ringing loudly in her ears. She knew she may not make it to the end, but she hoped she would -- that her Will alone would somehow keep her soul together and keep her sane, that she’d emerge victorious against the Light inside of her.

But this... this was too much for her to bear. It hurts. It _hurts so much_.

The pain was unbearable, but the thought of having _someone else_ take on this burden _for her_ was much, much worse.

Her hands gripped tightly at the fabric by her chest as she fell to her knees. Her breaths came in short pants, vision starting to blur as the light started to cover her vision slowly from the edges. She looked up in time to see the Ascian walk towards her (when did he get here?), uttering something she could not make out. The Scions sounded like they were shouting, but she couldn't make them out either. They sounded further away and muffled than she last remembered.

Did she walk away? Was she pulled away by someone? Is she underwater? Why did they sound so far?

 _‘Ah. How I wish I could just run away from this pain,'_ she thought, eyes falling down to the marbled flooring once again. She was too focused on the pain that she did not notice the Ascian was now crouching in front of her.

If she couldn't run from them... Then perhaps... If she tried to _hug_ the Light, it might calm down. Slowly closing her eyes, she tried to envelop the thrashing Light into a warm embrace like a mother hugging her child to calm their tantrum. Her arms physically wrapped themselves around her as she hugged herself into a ball on the ground, her forehead hovering just barely above the marble flooring she was just staring at.

One by one, the cluster of Light stopped crushing her soul. She felt herself feel better, becoming free of pain every _tick_ she heard in the back of her mind. The sound of grinding glass seemed to cease as well. She felt proud -- that she was able to calm the Light just by herself. She mentally praised herself, that she was doing a great job, and continued to accept the now-calmer Light as they spread throughout her body. They felt softer and warmer, akin to a feeling like the Blessing she sometimes felt from the Mother Crystal.

 _“AHAHAHA! I did it! I can control the Light! Everyone, there’s nothing to worry about! I can keep fighting and protect this Shard and our Home!”_ She opened her eyes, now staring at the bright sky above her, eyes sparkling in pride. She swung her arms wide open in pride as well, feeling herself become free. She expected to hear someone praising her, whether from her fellow Scions, the Crystal Exarch, or the Ascian himself.

But she heard none.

A _tick_ later, she dropped her arms to her side and curiously turned her head to face the Scions below her. Somehow, she couldn’t make out their faces; they looked blurred out to her. But she _knew_ who they were.

 _‘Why can’t I see their faces?’_ She couldn’t make out their faces, but she knew they were covered in horror. _‘Are they that shocked? It’s not like I’m flying that much higher than them---'_ Realization hit her hard as she mentioned _flying._ Her expression changed to that of horror, most likely mirroring what the Scions had on their faces. She couldn’t see her own expression, but she felt her lips fall from a smile to a frown.

The Warrior of Light slowly brought her hands up into her field of vision. She expected to see her usual hands, trying to convince herself that she was wrong. What she actually saw brought panic to her eyes, chills sent down her spine; her battle-scarred hands that she was used to seeing were replaced with beautiful, slim, pure-white hands embellished in gold.

_Tick._

_‘These aren’t my hands! These are---'_

“What a beautiful _Sin Eater_ you’ve become! I honestly thought you’d turn into one of those ugly ones, but glad you at least didn’t turn out that way.” She turned her head to her other side. The source of the sudden outburst was none other than Emet-Selch, floating at the same height of her. He was a few fulms away, to keep her just outside of arms reach in case she made any sudden movements. His expression was complex; he mostly looked like he was in joy, but there were also hints of sadness in his smile. The Warrior of Light didn’t seem to notice the hint of sadness in his expression nor his words; all she saw was the puppet-master behind all the chaos that was brought into this Shard, everything going according to his grand plan of Rejoining.

_Tick._

Unable to bear the thought of being there as the same thing she hunted just moments ago in front of her friends, the Warrior fled from the scene, deeper into the mountains of Kholusia.


	2. Orchestrate Our Fall from Grace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Scions watch in horror as events unfold

No one knew what was happening anymore.

When they thought they were victorious against Innocence, the last Light Warden they had to hunt down, their precious Warrior of Light was holding onto her head in pain. Most of the Scions knew nothing to stop her from transforming; they thought she’d be _fine_.

As they tried to rely on Urianger, the only one who had any sort of plan to halt the transformation, the Crystal Exarch appeared out of nowhere. He claimed all of this was part of _his_ plan to steal the Light and _run away_. This scheme was so _ridiculous_ that Y’shtola had no words; she saw how unstable and reckless the Exarch’s plans were that she could easily see his doom in her silvery eyes.

When they thought nothing could be done but to watch the scene unfold, the Exarch was shot down by Emet-Selch.

“To think that he went through all this trouble for the sake of a single hero. It’s almost admirable in its absurdity.”

No one could tell if his entrance was a blessing or a curse.

Thancred shrieked at the Ascian out of frustration as he reached behind him, ready to draw his gunblade out and charge in.

“Stay put,” Emet-Selch commanded, his glare enough to halt Thancred. “Your friend is still alive, but whether he remains so depends on you.” Although he was just standing by the Exarch, none of the Scions could move from their spot. They knew very well the Ascian could easily end the red-headed miqo’te’s life with a snap of his fingers.

Once he was sure the Scions were of no threat, he turned his attention to the Warrior of Light. “What a disappointment you turned out to be.” Emet-Selch shook his head, upset with the woman crouched few yalms away from him. “I placed my faith in you. Let myself believe that _you_ could contain the Light.” He made his way towards her, eyes locked not onto her but _into_ her. He thought she looked up at him, doing her best to glare at him despite the pain she was in, but he paid no attention. “Hm, you still retain your form and your senses… but you have all but become a Sin Eater.”

He paused in front of her, watching as the Light thrashed and broke her soul into pieces. He could just _hear_ the glass-grinding sound they were making as her soul shatters into smaller and smaller pieces, making him scowl from just the sight. What only his eyes could see made his chest ache a little – it was never pleasant to see souls shatter, Sundered or not. To add the fact that he was watching _her_ soul shatter made it even worse.

He crouched in front of the famed Hero as he continued to speak the truth; “Whether you will it or no, your mere existence will serve to engulf the world in Light.” He noticed she wasn’t really looking at him as her unfocused gaze fell to the marble flooring.

_'Ah. What a pity.’_

Emet-Selch heard someone yell something along the lines of “Is this all part of your scheme!?” from the side but ignored it for the time being, watching the Hero curl up into a ball in front of him. By this point, he was expecting her to be coughing up Light… But he hasn’t seen her do that. Did the transformation halt?

He noticed the change occurring inside of her, tilting his head to the side out of curiosity.

He watched as the Light slowed down its thrashing as if they finally came to an agreement that the Warrior of Light was their Master; it started to move around differently, in a more… _controlled_ manner. The shattering of her soul slowed down as the Light spread throughout her body and melted into her flesh, and those that were leaking out of her body started to envelop her in a protective manner. The brightness of the leaking Light increased at a consistent pace until it was too much to look at even for those who were not adept at sensing Aether.

Emet-Selch took several steps backwards while shielding his eyes with his hand, making sure to stand between the transforming Sin Eater and the Crystal Exarch. He couldn’t let the man die _yet_ , after confirming he had knowledge that even Ascians could learn from.

Several moments later, the now-pulsing orb of Light floated upwards towards the sky slowly, as if it were making sure no single piece fell out of place. Those who noticed the movement slowly dropped their hands and watched, curiosity taking the better judgement. The orb hovered in the air for a moment before it started to morph, spreading out and taking shape like clay. Once it settled into something that partially resembled a human figure, the blinding Light dissipated bit by bit, teasing all who were there watching the scene unfold anxiously.

Many of those who watched prayed for the safety of their beloved hero, that she would emerge unscathed from the Light.

Others – especially those gifted in the art of Aether – understood instinctively that what they were about to witness was going to be the birth of the worst horror story for Norvrandt to tell.

“No…” Ryne whispered, covering her mouth with her hands as tears started to form in the corner of her eyes. The Scions held their breath as they watched with wide eyes, afraid that if any one of them breathed too loudly or too quickly their beloved Hero might disappear along with the Light. Even Emet-Selch found himself holding onto his breath, unsure of how the events would turn.

The figure that emerged beneath the dissipating Light had pure-white skin, adorned with gold embellishment. The gold decorated its – _her_ – body to emphasize the beauty found within the soul. From a glance, anyone could tell she was beautiful, but her pure-white skin and the amount of Light Aether she carried inside told a different story.

The figure looked up to the sky and opened her eyes, letting out a cry resembling a maniac laugh. Her arms flew wide open like she was welcoming the bright sky she saw.

_“I did it! I can control the Light! Everyone, there’s nothing to worry about! I can keep fighting and protect this Shard and our Home!”_ Her mouth wasn’t moving, but you could tell those in the vicinity heard her voice, looking at each other for confirmation. The Scions were too shocked from the turn of events, unable to utter a single word for the person who used to be their hope. She sounded so proud of herself, too; one of many things they knew she never showed publicly.

What used to be their precious Hero dropped her hands to her side as she turned her head towards the Scions. Her golden eyes searched for her friends but never landed on any of them for too long. Her expression was hard to read, but one could guess that she probably wasn’t seeing the same view as she used to due to her transformation. With what looked like a complete transformation, no one knew what to expect from the figure floating in the air. She was barely taller than her original self, but the simple fact that she was a _Sin Eater_ now made things unpredictable.

Moments later, her expression changed. Those who noticed it thought it was odd – did she _actually_ comprehend what was happening to herself? She brought her hands up, visibly shaking from each breath she took. When she saw her pure-white hands, her breath caught in her throat; no more old cuts and battle scars on her hands to remind her of the countless battles she fought in the name of justice.

Emet-Selch noticed the odd behavior the Warrior was showing. When humans turn into Sin Eaters, they expel most of their own aether to turn, thus making them thirsty for human aether. Many of them venture out to satisfy that thirst instinctively. But the Warrior of Light? She wasn’t going after the sweet aether the Scions possessed despite just turning. She seemed to have her own thoughts and self-consciousness.

Perhaps, this transformation wasn’t something the Warrior did intentionally? Humming in curiosity, Emet-Selch wanted to know how she would react if he stimulated her senses more and decided to be the first to _congratulate_ the change that occurred to her.

Without missing a moment, he floated into the air and hovered just about the same height as the white figure in front of him. He was just a few fulms away – just out of arms reach in case she made any sudden movements. Although he is a person from the Ancient Time, he isn’t invincible. Should the Warrior decide to suddenly attack without a warning, even he could get hurt if not careful.

“What a beautiful _Sin Eater_ you’ve become! I honestly thought you’d turn into one of those ugly ones, but glad you at least didn’t turn out that way.” It was great news that the famed Hero from the Source transformed into a Sin Eater. He can always manipulate her to expedite the process of enveloping this Shard in Light. But…. The Sight he saw wasn’t something he liked to see. Although her soul was no longer being ground into sand, it was in no better shape than it was prior to her transformation. Her soul barely retained itself inside of her. No one could call _that_ a soul at that point.

_Her_ soul. _Shattered_ into pieces.

Most likely a permanent damage. Even if she miraculously managed to control the Light and turn back to her original self, there was no guarantee her soul would repair itself; even _he_ wasn’t sure if he could repair her soul in that state. If she were to rejoin with the rest of her sundered souls, there may be a chance…

_‘What a pity state she’s in. All because she was Sundered’_ , he thought, doubting that even their Mother Crystal would do anything to repair Her Champion’s soul either. She was always like that; picking her Champions and blessing them but never truly there when needed the most.

The Sin Eater turned her head towards Emet-Selch slowly. The look on her face almost made him want to reach his hand out towards her to comfort her, but he bit back the urge. She was a Sin Eater. A disappointment. A Sundered living being who _happened_ to carry _her_ soul. He opened his mouth to speak once more, but she quickly fled the scene. She couldn’t accept the fact that she was now the strongest Sin Eater to live. Or perhaps she had accepted it and fled while she retained her senses.

“Hmm. Fled into the mountains, did she? After everything she went through, she still retains consciousness.” Emet-Selch stared in the direction she fled in, thinking for a short moment before letting out a short hum as he came to a momentary conclusion. He turned his attention to the Scions before announcing his leave; “I have no reason to linger any longer. I shall take my prize and leave.” The Ascian snapped his fingers above his head, teleporting the Crystal Exarch to his lair. He disappeared through his own portal, but not before giving a final glance towards the Scions in disappointment.

He teleported deeper into the mountains in the general direction his target fled in, but only just far enough to not be detected by any of the Scions. He especially did not want to get detected by the Oracle of Light or the blind Mage – they were too keen for his liking.

“Now, where is she…” he mumbled, narrowing his eyes in concentration as he searched for a particular soul within the mountains -- the one covered in bright Light. He made sure to scan every malm his eyes could see until he found the glint of a soul he was searching for.

“Ah, there you are.”

**Author's Note:**

> If you enjoyed this fic and would like to talk about it or about other wonderful FFXIV fics and ideas of fics, please join me in this [awesome Discord Server](https://discord.gg/enabling-debauched-xivfic)! Come meet a bunch of awesome & wholesome fic writers and readers and supporters and enablers who all love FFXIV and I promise you'll never regret clicking that link <3


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